May, 2013

Well, here it is three years after my last post.

This was my view on May 1 - the cockpit of the ????? (boat still doesn't have a name) in Des Moines, WA. It might be named "Asterix."

First Day of School

The Good, The Bad, The Weird

C. and I saw a good South Korean movie this weekend, "The Good, the Bad, the Weird." 

Guess which is which?

It was good, but strange (I guess you could say weird).  It was also comical and gross.  There was a lot of gore, but it was rather in the style of a Simon Pegg & Nick Frost movie, or Monty Python, which made it a little more tolerable to those who don't generally care for violence.  There was a mass killing that was entirely accidental, which was ironic and humorous.  In another scene, the granny is not hit, even though about 2 dozen people fire three million bullets in her very near vicinity.  However there were still parts where I had to cover my eyes. 

The story begins with a map.  The map is sold, with the intent to steal it back.  Only someone else steals it first.  There is a fantastic, high-speed chase scene across a Manchurian desert at the end of the movie that goes on and on, and you wonder how the heck it is going to end.  A surprise revelation at the very end of the movie about the past of one of the three main characters is interesting.  It is not the character that you think would have that past. 

It also had a great soundtrack. 

Now I want a haircut like the Bad (admit it, it's cool).

From the film's website:

"One Map. Three Villains. Winner Takes All. Set in the 1930s Manchurian desert where lawlessness rules and many different ethnic groups clash, three Korean men fatefully meet each other on a train. The train’s diverse passengers and imminent danger with guns and knives everywhere serves as a microcosm of the turbulent times. Do-won is a bounty hunter who tracks down any criminals with rewards on their heads. Chang-yi is the leader of a group of tough-as-nails bandits. He cannot stand to be the second best. Tae-goo is a train robber with nine lives. The three strangers engage in a chase across Manchuria to take possession of a map Tae-goo discovers while robbing the train. Also on the hunt for the mysterious map are the Japanese army and Asian bandits. In this unpredictable, escalating battle for the map, who will stand in the end as the winner?"

http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-good-the-bad-the-weird

Saying Goodbye

I always wish later that I had taken more pictures.  These are a few I took while we were saying goodbye in Queensbury.

H. & Grandma

A. & C.

K. & Dusty

H., Grandma, & S.

More Motorcycles

The Harleys were obnoxiously loud, the Hondas were quieter, and the BMWs, like the one above, just purred.

We saw several three-wheeled motorcycles, some with two wheels in the back, and some with two in the front. 

A link to Americade: http://www.tourexpo.com/data/mos/Frontpage/Itemid,1/

Good Places We Ate During Our Trip to the East Coast

We had some hideous greasy food on our trip, but also ate at a number of excellent restaurants.  Here they are:

Piccola Italia in Manchester, NH http://www.piccolaitalianh.com/eng/
I had a REAL Caesar Salad here.  One of those rare ones in which you can actually taste the anchovies.  Even though the caesar salad did not originally contain anchovies, I don't consider it a real caesar salad without anchovies!

Some Japanese/Chinese place in Lake George, NY.  It was really good, but can't locate the name at the moment.  We ate from the hibachi menu.  The veggies were very fresh, and they had an excellent cocktail menu. 

The Chocolate Mill in Glens Falls, NY http://www.chocolatemillcafe.com/  The day before we ate here the local paper said one of the pastry chefs at this restaurant was just named one of the ten best pastry chefs in the U.S.  My egg dish was overcooked, but the pastries were incredible, and everyone else's meal was superb. 

Jacques Brasserie in NY, NY http://www.jacquesnyc.com/index2.html
ONGLET PRINTANIERE - panseared hanger steak, sweet onion puree, glazed summer vegetables and port wine jus, mashed potatoes (It was delicious!)

Allora Ristorante in Marlborough, MA http://www.alloraristorante.com/
This place had VERY good food, and had a lovely, sheltered garden patio with a lake view.  Since it was Massachusetts, of course they had lobster macaroni & cheese, instead of plain macaroni & cheese.

Allora Ristorante patio, Marlborogh MA

(photo courtesy of Allora Ristorante website)

Ned Devine's Irish Pub in Boston, MA http://www.neddevinesboston.com/neddevines/

I had a sirloin steak tips and bleu cheese salad.  It was very good.  Katherine got fish & chips - a HUGE portion.  They had good beer, of course, being an Irish pub. 

Le Panier French Bakery in Seattle, WA http://www.lepanier.com/

excellent french pastries and bread.  Had ham & cheese croissants for lunch.  It was jam packed.  I won't need a reminder NEVER to visit Pike's Place Market on a Saturday EVER AGAIN!

Three Cousins and the Doctor

A., H., K., & the Doctor

The Hardware Store

We had to go to the hardware store to get Grandma a new dryer vent hose and some lightbulbs.

Luna Moth

A. found a luna moth in Lake George

Boston MA > Manchester NH > Lake George NY

Saturday, June 5, we drove from Boston to Manchester NH, spent the night, then went on to Lake George NY.

The kids thought New Hampshire was rather boring.

But we ate dinner in a really good Italian restaurant in Manchester, Piccola Italia http://www.piccolaitalianh.com/eng/ .

K. eating her baby octopus.  She had some sort of seafood fettucine that had mussels, squid, scallops, shrimp, and one baby octopus. 

Americade, Lake George, NY, June 2010

We're visiting Craig's mom in Queensbury, New York. However we are staying a couple miles away at a hotel in Lake George. Americade is also in Lake George.  There are motorcycles everywhere, and it is very loud. 

Line of motorcycles along Lake George

A strange, three-wheeled yellow motorcycle, with two wheels in the front

A snazzy blue one with a fancy paint job